indossavano

Indossavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb indossare, meaning to wear or to put on clothes. The imperfect expresses a past action that was ongoing, repetitive, or descriptive, such as what people were wearing at a given time in the past. Indossare is a transitive verb that takes a direct object specifying the garment or item being worn.

The full imperfect conjugation for indossare is: io indossavo, tu indossavi, lui/lei indossava, noi indossavamo, voi indossavate, loro indossavano. Other tenses related to the same verb include the present indosso, indossi, indossa, indossiamo, indossate, indossano; the passato remoto indossarono; and compound tenses formed with avere, such as hanno indossato.

Usage of indossavano is common in narrative and descriptive past contexts. For example, one might say: "Durante la festa, indossavano abiti eleganti." The verb is typically followed by a direct object naming the garment, as in "indossavano cappotti pesanti" or "indossavano sciarpe colorate." It emphasizes the act of putting on or wearing the clothing, rather than merely possessing or carrying it.

Etymology and nuance: indossare derives from in- plus dossare, a historical verb meaning to place on the body or to lay upon the shoulders. The sense is closely tied to the action of wearing items of clothing. In everyday use, indossare is preferred when referring to clothing, while portare is broader and can indicate carrying or wearing in a wider sense.

See also: vestire, vestirsi, portare.